Gaming Misfit's review for the original Sonic the Hedgehog

Sonic the Hedgehog is one of the most easy to identify video game characters that we know today. What is it about Sonic that has made him such a recognizable icon? During the early 90's he was the main competitor for Nintendo's own Mario, which is a large accomplishment for any game company. Not only was Sonic an interesting game character though, he was also a pop culture icon. Having two cartoons in the early 90's and his own comic book series (which is actually the longest lasting comic series based off of a video game character) Sonic has become a household name. Everyone has to start somewhere though, and Sonic started on the SEGA Genesis in 1991. SEGA, in hopes of taking their new 16 bit console even farther, and becoming a rival for Nintendo, wished to create a new game campaign which would grab the attention of players everywhere. To do so, they would need to create a new character to replace Alex Kidd, their current mascot. And thus, Sonic the Hedgehog was created

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GAMEPLAY

The inital idea of Sonic the Hedgehog all links back to one thing: Speed. The main way to gain speed is to gain momentum, and if used correctly, speed is discovered. To help use his speed, Sonic can also roll in a little ball, when going fast enough. This is also a helpful attack against the enemies in the game: Badniks. Badniks are basically creative robot designs based off of animals, such as: Motobug, Chopper, Crabmeat, Buzz Bomber, and others. These badniks usually aren't very hard, and only take a simple jump on the head to kill. However, in some cases (such as Caterkiller) you must avoid jumping on the enemy in certain places, and focus somewhere else. After 2 acts of Sonic running to the goal, Sonic will come to a 3rd act in which you will face Dr. Robotnik (and in the future to be known as "Dr. Eggman"). Robotnik's boss fights are a mixed bag. Some are fairly easy, others are more difficult and take some time to think through.

As Sonic runs through the game you will ecounter different "zones" in which the character must beat each to reach the final boss. I'm not going to lie, the zones in this game lack variety. Okay, to be fair this is Sonic's first game, so you can't expect but so much out of it, but allow me to show you what the different levels are like.

- Green Hill - A fun, fast paced grassy area full of green hills for Sonic to explore. A great opening to the game, and shows what the game should be like.-Marble Zone- Aaaaand, now we lose that sense of speed entirely, and are forced to under go this slow, boring, platforming which makes me feel like playing a Mario game. WIth that said, nothing is wrong with slower platforming, but after the rush of running through Green Hill, you don't feel going slow and jumping platforms constantly. There's also a tendency to die in this stage alot, for newcomers to the game. The theme of this one seems to be some ancient maze of sorts.-Spring Yard Zone- Not quite sure what the theme of this one is. It's a bit of a peculiar stage. I've heard some say it's a casino theme, others have said it's a garden. So I don't know. Maybe just some sort of yard full of springs? Anyways, this stage is sort of a mix between the last two. You'll have some fast moments, and there are plenty of slow moments too.-Labyrinth Zone- I hate this zone, I hate this zone, I hate this zone, I hate this zone. Okay, okay. This is basically Marble Zone, only much slower, and 5 times the amount of spikes. Oh, and instead of lava, we get tons of water. Which apparently Sonic is allergic to and cannot even swim in. Great....-Star Light Zone- Basically a city with a sky full of stars. And we finally get to go fast again. It's about time. Just keep in mind, that if you go too fast in this zone, YOU WILL DIE. It happens on several occasions. Go fast, and have fun, but don't go too fast and lose all your lives because Sonic uncontrollably goes falling off a cliff.-Scrap Brain Zone- I've heard that the theme for this zone is basically little ideas of Dr. Robotnik's traps all put into one stage. With that said, you most likely won't die because of a Badnik, but a trap in this zone. It's hard enough for a final stage. -Secret Zone- Here, Sonic is able to collect "Chaos Emeralds". In order to get to a special zone, you have to have at least 50 rings once you pass the stage. After that's done, there should be a giant ring at the end. By jumping into it, Sonic will be teleported to the special zone. Sonic will remain in a ball, and roll around with many obstacles around him. Collecting all the chaos emeralds gives the game a secret ending, and it really isn't worth all the work. However, you can also get Continues from the special zones, so try to grab as many rings as you can!

All of this leads up to the final boss fight, which is rather disappointing. The final boss is ridiculously easy, and not even the hardest boss in the game. You won't feel very accomplished upon beating him, either.

CONCLUSION ON GAMEPLAY

The gameplay for Sonic the Hedgehog is certainly not perfect, but it will provide you with some fun, and it would pave the road for future games in the Sonic franchise.

PRESENTATION

The original Sonic the Hedgehog has some very crisp sounds on it, and plenty of bright and pretty colors are to be found in this game. However, upon looking at my copies of Sonic 2 and Sonic 3&K I can't help but think that the level design could have been a little better. It often lacks in the creativity field, again though, since this is Sonic's first, I'm willing to excuse that one flaw.

OVERALL CONCLUSION

Sonic the Hedgehog is a must buy for any fan of platformers. Despite being different, that's what makes this game so unique. The use of pinball mechanics, momentum based phsysics, and an overall use of speed is brilliant and makes Sonic so different from other platformers. If you're a fan of platformers, and haven't played this yet, you need to. If you're a fan of Sonic and haven't played this yet, you definitely need to. Recommended.

Last edited by Gaming Misfit on Sat Oct 15, 2011 1:37 pm; edited 2 times in total

Really nice review, actually Misfit. I really, really quite like your writing style - and IDK why, but the Zone descriptions are very similar to the descriptions in Somecallmejohnny and Nayrman's review of the original Sonic the Hedgehog - which also somewhat reminds me of Douglas Adams' sense of humour. Strange, isn't it?

Really nice review, actually Misfit. I really, really quite like your writing style - and IDK why, but the Zone descriptions are very similar to the descriptions in Somecallmejohnny and Nayrman's review of the original Sonic the Hedgehog - which also somewhat reminds me of Douglas Adams' sense of humour. Strange, isn't it?

I often watch them, so I may sound alot similar. It's unintentional though, I assure you.

Really nice review, actually Misfit. I really, really quite like your writing style - and IDK why, but the Zone descriptions are very similar to the descriptions in Somecallmejohnny and Nayrman's review of the original Sonic the Hedgehog - which also somewhat reminds me of Douglas Adams' sense of humour. Strange, isn't it?

I often watch them, so I may sound alot similar. It's unintentional though, I assure you.

Sonic the Hedgehog is my favorite game in the Sonic series, but I'm used to it not receiving the praise I constantly lavish upon it. Your review was well written, and I agree that the final boss was a tad too easy. However, I always feel a rush of euphoria as I send Robotnik to his doom immediately after the fight. I'd also argue that the level layouts are perhaps the best in the series, especially when compared to its immediate successor. But that is a matter of opinion, more than anything else.